Smoothie Recipes

I've tried shedding a few pounds since our return from Florence, Rome and Paris. Almost every year, the girls join me during the summer in my workout and diet routine. Mimi, Lulu's 14-year-old little sister, surprised me this morning and prepared the fruitiest, packed-with-energy smoothie. She didn't use any additional sweeteners, except for the natural sweetness from bananas, blueberries and golden kiwis.

Mimi used our powerful Vitamix blender. For a smoother flow, she also added almond milk. When I first met her, Mimi used to have awful allergies with almonds, but since her teenage years, she has overcome this specific allergy. Unfortunately, we've discovered new ones, especially during our trip to Florence. She's allergic to truffle mushrooms now; go figure!

The drink is a blend of strawberries, raspberries, kiwis, peanuts and vanilla extract. The fruit gives you an instant energy boost, and the protein in the peanuts will keep you going longer than your average smoothie. It's a delicious and healthy way to start the day!

This drink is made with mango purée, orange juice and a banana. The banana gives a smooth texture to the drink; cooked mung beans add protein and tie the flavors together.

I've read that eating breakfast is one of the keys to successfully losing weight. Since I've been waking up at the wee hours of the morning to work out for 45 minutes before starting the day, I want to stack the deck in my favor. A protein shake is the perfect choice for me because I'm not very big on breakfast (unless it's crêpes!).

Sinh tốtrái cây are popular Vietnamesesnackdrinks. The phrase literally translates to "fruit vitamins", but you know them better as smoothies.

This particular smoothie is flavored with jackfruit (mít in Vietnamese). The secret ingredient though is the mung beans (đậu xanh), which provide a creamy and consistent texture. The fresh ripe fruit gives a natural sweetness to the smoothie, which is enhanced by the addition of condensed milk and ice cream.

This recipe is for the ones who love the good old combination of peanut butter and banana, but with fewer calories. As I've said in the past, I always try to find ways to ensure that my husband Lulu, who is a vegetarian, has enough nutrition in his diet. He's also been exercising regularly lately, so I figured a healthy treat was in order.

I made banana milk that is vegan (Lulu's lactose intolerant too!). The drink is a blend of bananas, soy milk, peanut butter, cinnamon, whey protein and vanilla extract. It's a delicious way to start the day with healthy servings of potassium and protein, which is great for a vegetarian diet. Best of all, Lulu loves it! And if you like this drink, I'll post more whey protein-enhanced beverages soon.